Attaching a suture to a bone is a task that is well known in the art of surgery. A common solution is to screw a threaded screw, to which the suture is attached, into the bone. However, screwdrivers used to perform this task may injure tissue surrounding the bone. In addition, during the insertion of the screw the suture dangles from the screw and may get stuck or otherwise interfere with the surgeon""s operations.
An aspect of some embodiments of the invention relates to a medical screwdriver which includes a long bore, in which a suture may reside while an anchor screw holding the suture is screwed into a bone. The bore is optionally at least a few centimeters long such that movements of the suture are sufficiently distanced from the bone and its surrounding flesh.
In some embodiments of the invention, the bore runs along the rotation axis of the screwdriver. Having the bore run along the rotation axis of the screwdriver minimizes the rotation of the suture, such that the suture does not substantially move and therefore does not hit flesh of the patient. In addition, when the suture does not substantially rotate there is substantially no danger of tearing and/or knotting due to rotation. In some embodiments of the invention, the bore is defined by a hollow shaft that turns the screw. Alternatively, the bore is defined by a hollow shaft, which runs parallel to the rotation axis of the screwdriver. For example, the hollow shaft carrying the suture may be connected to a sheath, which isolates a shaft of the screwdriver from a patient""s flesh. In some embodiments of the invention, the bore has a ring shape which is defined between a shaft which turns the screw and a sheath which isolates the shaft which turns the screw from the flesh surrounding the bone.
An aspect of some embodiments of the invention relates to a stationary sheath for isolating a shaft of a medical screwdriver from surrounding tissue. The stationary sheath prevents the rotating shaft of the screwdriver from injuring tissue surrounding a bone into which a screw is inserted. Optionally, the sheath is rotationally locked to the screwdriver body.
Optionally, the stationary sheath comprises a collapsible shield cap, which surrounds a screw held by the screwdriver when the screw is not pressed against a bone.
There is therefore provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a medical screwdriver for inserting a medical screw connected to a suture into a bone, including a shaft adapted to hold a medical screw at its distal end, a motor adapted to rotate the shaft, and a suture-receiving channel leading from the distal end of the shaft to a point distanced from the distal end of the shaft by at least 50% of the length of the shaft.
Optionally, the suture-receiving channel leads to a point distanced from the distal end of the shaft by the length of the shaft. In some embodiments of the invention, the suture-receiving channel comprises a through bore defined in the shaft. Optionally, the hollow shaft is coupled to the motor through a gear pair and/or through a shaft housing which defines a bore therethrough. In some embodiments of the invention, the motor is held in a casing which defines a through channel, which channel leads from a first side of the casing close to a coupling to the hollow shaft to an opposite side of the casing.
Optionally, the screwdriver includes a switch having a first position in which a suture located in the channel is held tightly and a second position in which the suture is free to move.
Optionally, the screwdriver includes a stationary sheath that surrounds the shaft. Optionally, the stationary sheath is removable. In some embodiments of the invention, the stationary sheath comprises a key, which is adapted to fit in a respective notch in a casing of the motor. Optionally, the channel is defined between the stationary sheath and the shaft. Optionally, the stationary sheath comprises a distal collapsible shield, which is adapted to cover, in the absence of an axially applied force, at least a portion of a screw held by the shaft.
There is further provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a medical screwdriver for inserting a medical screw connected to a suture into a bone, comprising a shaft adapted to hold a medical screw at its distal end, a stationary sheath which surrounds the shaft and a motor adapted to rotate the shaft so as to push the screw into a bone. Optionally, the stationary sheath comprises a distal collapsible shield, which is adapted, in the absence of force, to cover at least a portion of a screw held by the shaft.
There is further provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a stationary sheath, comprising a sheath, a collapsible shield connected at a distal end of the sheath and a rotation stopper that prevents the sheath from rotating. Optionally, the rotation stopper comprises a key protruding from a proximal end of the sheath, which key is adapted to fit into a compatible grove of a screwdriver. In some embodiments of the invention, the sheath defines a slot and the rotation stopper comprises a rod, which is adapted to fit into the slot and to connect to a screwdriver. Optionally, the sheath is at least two centimeters long.